This week's topic at the Virtual Curriculum Fair is Discovering Patterns: Mathematics, Science, and Logic. As I did last week, I will let you know up front that there may be affiliate links to Amazon in this post. I only link to resources that I really do like.

Mathematics:

Mathematics was one of those really hard to figure out subjects at the beginning of our homeschooling. I headed into homeschooling using all ABEKA book resources (because I had taught with ABEKA as a Christian school teacher). I slowly phased out ABEKA as I realized it was just too structured and too much textbook for what I wanted. Math was one of the last things to go because I just didn't know what to try.

About four years ago, I was drawn to Math U See at the homeschool convention. We bit the bullet and handed over the big books for two complete sets and all the blocks. It lasted one year. We started in to the next year but just couldn't keep going. Charles hated watching the DVD and doing the same things over and over. Kathryne was frustrated because in science she was beginning to encounter math topics that hadn't yet been covered in Math U See.

I looked around again and came to Saxon. I'm not sure why it took me so long. Saxon still had the hands on explanations which I had been drawn to in Math U See, but it was cyclical and covered the topics again and again deeper at each level.

So, this year, Kathryne and Charles are using Saxon 8/7, Ashlyne is using Saxon 3, and Rachel is using Saxon 2. Ashlyne and Rachel and I do the daily "math meeting" together using 3rd grade topics. I don't use the teacher book at their level. So far, Kathryne and Charles read their lessons and complete them on their own for the most part. Occasionally I will explain a difficult topic. If they ever come to the point where they have trouble with this, I'll probably break down and get the DVDs for them.

Science:

I love, love, love our Apologia Science. I've used a few other things through the years, but I've come back to Apologia again and again because I love the way the books read more like real books, not textbooks and because they have such a very strong Christian worldview.

Ashlyne and Rachel and I are going through the Exploring Creation With Astronomy book using the Jr. notebook which is wonderful. The notebook has color pages, note pages, and lapbooking activities. It also has a great lesson plan schedule that lays out what to read and do when.

Kathryne is using the Physical Science book. It is really good for her. The reading level of the middle school/high school books is pretty high. I found detailed lesson plans for all of the upper level Apologia books, along with lab sheets at the Donna Young printables site.

Charles began the Physical Science book but was really bogged down with the reading. So, after a few weeks of struggling, I found Christian Kids Explore Physics from Bright Ideas Press. Written for 4th-8th grade, the reading level was much better for him. It is still self-directed, though. The resource CD included with the book contains printable lesson plans and printable sheets for all of the activity sections of the book. I print him the lesson plans and worksheets every week, and he does everything else. He's responsible for planning how much he needs to do daily and for doing the activity/experiment on his own. It's a good compromise- still completing a physics course but having something a little easier to read.

Logic:

Kathryne and Charles and I thoroughly enjoyed logic our first year, reading The Fallacy Detective. When we finished it, I purchased Introductory Logic at the homeschool convention; and we began reading it last year.

Over a year later, we're still reading. There is some really good information, but it is very tedious at times. I know that they have learned (and that I have learned), but sometimes I feel as if we are really bogged down. I do have the second book in the series- Intermediate Logic- but I'm just not sure when we will make it to that book.

Next week will feature Exploring Our World: Social Studies and More Science. You can check out other math, science, and logic resources at these blogs:

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About Author

I am a child of God, wife, a mother, and a homeschooling mama. I've homeschooled four children since birth, and am now the mother of a homeschool graduate! In my (very rare) free time, I love to read and color complicated pictures while listening to audio books. At As We Walk Along the Road you can find homeschool resources, parenting posts, free printables, reviews, and more. Come visit!

It's interesting how many homeschoolers have roundabout math journeys. It seems math is often a "bone of contention," and yet it's so important to a good education. Isn't it great to finally find just the right thing?

Thank you for sharing your mathematical and logical endeavors with the Virtual Currriculum Fair!